


Not a Fairy Tale

by scurvaliciousbay



Series: Mirevas River AU [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, One Lived One Died, Reincarnation, River AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-09-19 14:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17003697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scurvaliciousbay/pseuds/scurvaliciousbay
Summary: Darevas wants Miriel to remember their love so badly.





	Not a Fairy Tale

**Author's Note:**

> Darevas belongs to SeleneLavellan

“Maybe,” he starts hesitantly, “it’s old magic, like in stories.”

Miriel looks over at Darevas, still unsure of how to act around him.

“And what would that be?” She asks. The fire crackles and Darevas glances around them to make sure they’re alone before continuing.

“Little tales my mother used to tell me when I was little, ‘ _love’s true kiss_ ’ breaking malicious spells. I cannot think of a more malicious spell than keeping your memory from you,” he asserts and she frowns.

“Are you suggesting this to genuinely restore my memory or are you simply wishing to kiss me after I’ve…”

“No! No, of course not!” He quickly reassures. He scoots closer to her and reaches for her hand.

“There is…so much, they are your memories, you deserve to have them.”

“And you are confident that you are my  _true love_?”

“ _Yes_ , people of this time do not have it but from my time, sometimes when two people loved each other enough, for long enough, they formed a deep bond. I could feel you, just as you could feel me, always.” His eyes grow dark and his face returns to a familiar weary expression, “When they…murdered you, I felt it. Like a limb cut from my own body.”

That is…both beautiful and alarming. It’s weird to think she had this whole other life long,  _loooong_ ago and she loved this man, and was subsequently killed.

“I…don’t think it’s a spell, though. Was I killed by a spell?”

He turns toward the fire, his frown deepening and shoulders slumping, “I do not know,” he says quietly.

“I thought…you  _saw_ …”

He shakes his head slowly, “The Nameless had entered the palace, it was chaos. There were traitors everywhere. You…wanted to protect me. Fear and Deceit were tasked with getting Felasel and I to predetermined safe locations. You volunteered to give them time.” Darevas drops his head into his hands, shrinking on himself. Oh.

She does not know him, she feels no love for him, at least she doesn’t think she does. But she feels for him and perhaps there is something to the idea that they are connected somehow. Miriel reaches out and touches his shoulder making him jerk in surprise. She doesn’t say anything as she bends down and gently guides his face to look up at hers. With care and only the slightest tinge of hesitation, she presses her lips to his.

Nothing happens. There is no magic that swells within her, no sudden realization of love or even the spark of connection. His lips are soft and taste of salt from his tears, but it is not magical or restorative. It’s just a kiss.

She breaks the kiss and leans her forehead against his.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, not sure if she’s apologizing for it not working, for her not remembering a single thing, or for her past life’s death. Maybe for all of it.

A broken sound escapes him, hurting her heart. She may not love him or remember loving him, but she doesn’t want him hurting. For all that she’s seen, he’s a decent person. Given to more sadness than any of the stories had even told of, but considering what he’s lived through…sadness is his prerogative.

His head falls to her shoulder and on impulse, she wraps her arms around him, threading a hand into his hair as she murmurs little sounds of reassurance. He clings to her, sobbing. She doesn’t think he really believed it would work, but sometimes all you have is hope, even if it definitely won’t work. They were just stories when he was a boy, and this is reality. She runs her hands through his hair and holds him even tighter.

She is unsure for how long he cries. The fire is lower by the end of the tears, though he remains close, tucked up as well as he can be for his size in her arms.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

“There’s no need, I wish it worked too,” she tells him, making little reassuring touches over him – hand in hair, adjusting his cloak, carefully wiping away tears with the pad of her thumb.

“Everything is gone,” he says. Her brow furrows in concern.

“You said that Fear and Deceit ferried you _and_ your brother away?”

“Yes.”

“Then maybe he’s still out there waiting too, we could find him,” she suggests before really thinking what that would mean. Darevas’s eyes light up, though, and something in her softens.

“You would do that?”

“I don’t see why not, he doesn’t sound like the type of person who should be locked up.” Plus, if two of their gods come back, full of knowledge and wisdom to guide them something better than what they have. Perhaps…perhaps they could find a home. And with the gods on their side, who could dare to lead and an exalted march against them this time?

His hand drifts up to her face and strokes her cheek before a beautiful smile spread across his face.

“Even after all this, you’re still kind.” She feels undeserving of the marvel in his voice.

“I’m sorry for not remembering,” Miriel says.

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault,” he corrects quickly. She rolls her eyes.

“Fine, then I’m completely not sorry, how ‘bout that?”  

His smile turns playful, despite the sadness lingering in his eyes, “Good.” His lip twitches and she thinks he’s fighting the urge to kiss her again. It’s decent of him, she’s…not there.

“We’ll find your brother, not everything is lost.” She runs her hand through his hair again and hopes that she can keep her promise, and that when they find his brother, he’s alive and as well as he could be given the circumstances.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
